In 1960 a Liverpool band called the Silver Beatles asked Pete Best to join them as drummer. Best was already in a band called the Blackjacks, but he took the gig and for the next two years he played with the band (which eventually dropped "Silver" from its name). When the band auditioned with Decca, Best played drums on the first recording of "Love Me Do." Things went downhill quickly from there, writes Maggie Malach of Mental Floss:
But in August 1962, the morning after another well-received gig at the famous Cavern Club, manager Brian Epstein called Pete into his office and gave him the bad news.
“I walked into Brian’s office … and he was quite agitated, fidgety,” Best explained in the 2006 documentary Pete Best of the Beatles: The Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Story Never Told. "‘Pete,’ he said. ‘I really don’t know how to tell you this, but I will.’ And he said, ‘In short, the boys want you out and it’s already been arranged that Ringo [Starr] will join the band on Saturday.’ And that was the bombshell. I couldn’t believe what was happening. Am I in a dream? Am I in a nightmare? I want to wake up, someone pinch me.” Best, who was just 20 years old at the time, went home and cried.
He never spoke to any of the other Beatles again. People have asked Best why he doesn't call Paul or Ringo now and get an explanation as to why he was unceremoniously sacked. In 2009 he told Spinner: "Well, have you ever tried to phone a Beatle? It just doesn't happen. You couldn't get to them."
Today is the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” album and to celebrate, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and their collaborators have released a new video for “Here Comes The Sun.” From a statement: The “Here Comes The Sun” music video welcomes the viewer into Abbey Road Studios’ Studio Two, where The Beatles famously recorded […]
On November 14, 1980, John Lennon recorded three rough songs at the apartment he shared with Yoko Ono in New York City’s The Dakota apartments. “You Saved My Soul (With Your True Love)” was the last demo he recorded before he was murdered on December 8, 1980 outside his home. Listen above.
Who are these people that have time for a job, social life, and actual healthy meals? With a nutrition segment on seemingly every talk show and entire networks devoted to food, it can sometimes seem like we’ve never left our mother’s house and her constant admonitions to “eat your vegetables!” And okay, she was right. […]
Every Christmas list has names you dread buying for. But hold up: Before you wave the white flag and get them yet another gift card, scroll down a few. We’ve got 15 items that run the gamut from stylish old-school lighters to cutting-edge audio tech, enough variety to please any Scrooge. And the best part? […]
We’re living in the age of Big Data. As the driving force behind everything from Google’s famed algorithms to self-driving cars, massive sets of complex data can be found at the heart of some of today’s most exciting and important technologies. The Ultimate SQL Bootcamp Certification Bundle will give you the skills and tools you […]
